David Wieland

Ledward Ka'apana is a Hawaiian master of both slack key guitar and ukulele. Somewhat unusually, he is a two-finger picker on both instruments. Here's an example of what he can do on uke:  

r ransom wrote:...
First pluck through of the song, I find it difficult to use my index on the A string,  i still want one finger per string as is my instinct.   Is there a musical reason why so many tutorials have primarily thumb and index playing all the strings?

You might notice that there Is some difference in finger mechanics among the various fingers. That affects strum motion more than plucking, and there's nothing wrong with favouring the ring finger on the first string, which is the classical guitar style. Some musicians favour what's called two-finger picking, thumb and index, and can play fairly complex pieces that way. Other folks just start out that way because it feels easier.

r ransom wrote:...teach hand to do from F to G. Although, I think i get worse the more I practice.

If it seems to get worse, it's a sign that you're trying to go too fast. That's a common problem and one that I occasionally face before I remember to slow down. Speed comes naturally with mastery. Crawling comes before walking and running.

r ransom wrote:...
The tab line alone (bottom line) misses the length of the notes, the numbers above the bars, is the dot on top or beside the note or both?  

If I only had that bottom line I would have to play by ear and know the song perfectly already, or I would need to read the music to know how to play.
...

You're right about the tab not showing the timing, although having five notes depicted in a four beat measure is a strong clue that two of them are eighth notes. But I'm going to push back on the idea that you need to know the song perfectly to work from tab alone. Yes, you need to have at least a semblance of the tune in mind, but the sounds you make on the uke will give you helpful feedback in making adjustments.

Rather than go for fingerpicking such a piece right away, I recommend getting some chords and progressions solidly under your belt first. If straight strumming is unsatisfying, try thumb-strum, that is, pick one string with your thumb and strum the rest with your fingers. That's a time-honoured style that serves well as a base from which to get more "sophisticated". You can play around with the timing, strum direction (e.g., down, up, down-up), and emphasis. There are many ways to make good music, but they all require building on the basics.

It's also important to listen to your body, which I know well as an oldster. Learning to place your fingers with care and not more pressure than needed takes some time but yields maximum fun for minimum effort. (I think that's what Iz said was his goal.)

r ransom wrote:...
I'm going to need a book on basic "how to read music" to go with this reading tab thing.  Maybe like a phrase book we used to have before pocket computers to talk to people when we travel.  "where is the bathroom" "I need to buy a toothbrush" "one beer please"

Like a music guide but really really really simple for someone like me.  

Tab is an abbreviation of tablature, which is stringed instrument music notation that represents the strings as lines and superimposes fret numbers (zero for unfretted) to show the notes played. Supplemental notation similar to standard music scores is often added for more detailed information. It seems that you've been looking mostly at standard notation scores. These days I often see chord names on a line above a line of lyrics being called tab, but in the 60s we knew better and sometimes called that format "fake" sheets.

r ransom wrote:...
At the top we have words "C tuning " then letters and numbers.  Curious if this is related to the lesson I skipped yesterday.

This looks more complicated than stairway to heaven, so if I can get the first page intro of that smooth, it will be time to try this.  Maybe.

Also, that goose keeps coming up to me and standing very still as if waiting for me to give her something.  She might want cabbage.

I didn't know until I did a web search just now that C tuning is the name for traditional high G tuning. It's not clear to me why it is so named, perhaps because C is the lowest note, but if your goose likes it you could think of it as cabbage tuning.

r ransom wrote:The string instruments I've handled have always had a wax or varnish finish on the outsidd.  I was told never to apply anything inside as it damages the sound.  

I wasn't sure if oil works.

I definitely wouldn't oil the inside. Luthiers try to minimize the thickness of any coating, so as to not "burden" the wood and dampen its vibration. As far as I can tell, the reason for applying finish is to protect the instrument from dirt. Oil doesn't penetrate varnish, but I suppose it can leave a certain sheen.

M Ljin wrote:

r ransom wrote:Now I think back on it, sudden changes in humidity aren't kind to wood.  I am thinking of oiling the outside of the ukulele to help protect it as it's definitely going to be an indoor-outdoor instrument.

The finish on it now is just stain.  Some walnut oil aught to do the trick.

You have a few days to talk me out of it if this is a bad idea.

I do this all the time. And I use olive oil. So far nothing bad had happened!

If you don't oil a string instrument now and then it can become prone to cracking.

I've never heard of oiling stringed instruments, but some humidity control is definitely good for them. I keep mine in their cases when I'm not playing them. A hard case slows humidity changes, which reduces stress, and a sound hole humidifier keeps my indoor-outdoor jamming guitar crack-free even in winter in its soft case.

Sealing only one side of a board or wood panel doesn't help with moisture stress and can even exacerbate it.

r ransom wrote:...
I have a capo , i think.  It's the scary string clamp thingy?

I can see how useful it could be, but I don't feel anywhere near ready to deal with that.

The main use of a capo is to change the pitch of what is played to better match a singer's vocal range, but without needing to change chord fingerings. Another reason, for guitarists, is to shorten the effective fretboard and enable reaching a fret that is otherwise too big a stretch. The ukulele fretboard is short enough to not need a capo for that.

As for the video lesson, it seems surprisingly advanced for beginners. For playing simple tunes, it's valuable to know the I, IV, and V (1, 4, and 5) chords for the key you're playing in, but you can easily memorize the set -- such as C, F, and G (or G7) -- without knowing any theory. That's how most of us old-timers started.